In a tragic turn of events, a homicide inquiry has been initiated following the death of a 12-year-old girl from California, who succumbed to injuries possibly inflicted by a classmate wielding a metal water bottle. This incident, which has shaken the community, reportedly occurred at Reseda Charter High School.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the young student, Khimberly Zavaleta, sustained her injuries on February 17 while courageously stepping up to defend her younger sister from bullying. The family’s heartache deepened days after the altercation when Zavaleta suffered a rupture of blood vessels in her brain, leading to her untimely death last Wednesday.

Zavaleta’s mother recounted the distressing event to KABC, describing how her daughter encountered a confrontation in the school hallway. “At dismissal time, she was approached by a tall boy who began pushing her. My daughter, trying to defuse the situation, suggested they take it to the principal’s office to discuss, but he ignored her,” she explained.

In an act of protection, Zavaleta intervened to shield her younger sister, which tragically led to her being struck on the head with the metal water bottle. Although the altercation was captured on video, the critical moment revealing who threw the bottle was not recorded, according to KABC.

“My daughter went to pull her sister away to prevent further harm, and that’s when she was hit,” the mother shared. “The video shows them pulling her away, and at one point, she was hit hard on the head, resulting in her being in the morgue now.”

“My daughter goes and pulls her away, so they don’t hit her sister, and that’s when [Zavaleta] gets hit in the head,” the mother said. “In the video, you can see them pulling [Zavaleta]. At one point, they hit her hard on the head, which led her to where she is now – in a morgue.”

KTLA reported that after the incident, Zavaleta went to the emergency room and was sent home. Days later, she collapsed and was taken back to the hospital with a brain hemorrhage.

Zavaleta was placed in a medically-induced coma and underwent emergency surgery before her heart gave out, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles police’s Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Bureau Section confirmed it is investigating Zavaleta’s death, but declined to provide details about the case. Los Angeles Unified School District officials told The Los Angeles Times that they are cooperating with the ongoing investigation.